Durban — KwaZulu-Natal’s alarming teen pregnancy statistics demand urgent action from society a whole.
That’s according to the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson on health, Edwin Baptie.
Baptie, in statement on Tuesday, said that the alarming teenage pregnancy statistics revealed by Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, demanded urgent ‘whole-of-society’ response.
Simelane revealed that between April and December last year, KZN registered a total of 26 515 pregnancies of girls between the ages of 10 and 19. This included 1 254 girls between the ages of 10 and 14.
Baptie said: “This is a shocking statistic that highlights a fundamental problem within society and the family lives of many young people.”
He said the issue also cuts across several ANC-run provincial government departments - the most obvious being health, education, social development and community safety.
“KZN’s Department of Health must deal with the added burden of delivery, pre and post-natal care along with the added risks to the health of babies born to adolescent mothers,” Baptie said.
“It is crucial that the SAPS investigate the cases of pregnancy for girls under the age of 18. Given the scourge of gender-based violence in the country, teenagers need to be protected from all forms of sexual abuse and perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
Baptie said the province needs to deal with the causes and not just the symptoms of the problem. The various departments must gain a better understanding of the drivers and conditions that give rise to this crisis.
“This requires in-depth study to identify circumstances, factors and omissions that give rise to young girls falling pregnant. Such a study must be co-funded by the relevant departments as valuable input to policy and legislative changes to foster a healthier nation,” Baptie said.
He said that home life, parental involvement, values and discipline played a central role in shaping the behaviour of young people.
He added that the DA’s KZN spokespersons for health, education, social development and community safety will engage this week to discuss an approach to this growing epidemic. They will then make their submissions to their respective portfolios in a bid to find solutions.
“Government and society cannot turn a blind eye to this phenomenon and hope it will cure itself. As with many challenges facing our province and our country, it demands an urgent, holistic approach,” Baptie said.
Simelane said: “We can talk until we are blue in the face … until blood comes out of our eyes, but if we as parents and guardians don’t take responsibility in raising our kids properly, nothing will ever change.”
Simelane, who is the OSS champion for the Amajuba District, urged communities to regard teenage pregnancy as an abnormality that was disgraceful.
“It’s a disgrace that in this community there are children aged 13 and 14 who have fallen pregnant,” Simelane said.
“It is a disgrace that in this community, in April and May, we’ve seen more than seven children who are school-going who’ve fallen pregnant. It’s a disgrace.
“It is disgusting for a 13-year-old child not to come back home. It is disgusting and unacceptable for a 17-year-old boy to sleep with a 13-year-old girl. We should never allow such things to happen,” Simelane said.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News